ABSTRACT
In analogy to a tent on the ground, most cells have to be anchored to a surface; without anchorage, cells act more as a uid and these anchorage-dependent cells would be unable to properly execute their function (Ingber, 2003a). Additionally, cells probe the elasticity and topography of their surroundings and use the information they gather to position and orient themselves, which has signi cant implications for development and organogenesis, tissue maintenance, angiogenesis, and wound healing (Schwarz and Bischofs, 2005).
